From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, yesterday, said the agricultural sector contributed 17.22 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024.
Abdullahi said smallholder farmers contributed more than 70 per cent of the workforce.
He stated this during the presentation of the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) with the theme ‘The Role of Early Warnings towards a Climate Resilient Aviation Industry for Sustainable Socio Economic Development.’
“He agricultural sector contributed 17.22 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product in the first quarter of 2024, with smallholder farmers making up more than 70 per cent of the workforce,” he said.
Meanwhile, the minister reiterated the need for timely release of Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) enable farmers to be well informed in decision-making and agricultural planning that would led to bumper yield.
“The SCP is a useful advisory guide to farmers. It offers site-specific downscaling and, when applied, will boost the adaptive capacity and resilience of farmers to the impact of climate change.
“Early warning systems and climate intelligence are indispensable for resilience, adaptation, and economic stability. Seasonal climate prediction is germane to the nation’s agricultural sector. It will serve as a strategic guide for planning, decision-making, and risk mitigation.
“SCP will enable farmers to increase productivity, while poverty, hunger, food insecurity, malnutrition, food imports, and unemployment will reduce, even as women’s empowerment in agriculture and environmental performance will increase.
In addition, he lauded the collaborative efforts between NiMet and the Ministry in integrating climate intelligence into agricultural practices, stating, “the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is fully supporting and committed to the early warning system, climate-smart agriculture, and every development initiative to achieve food security and a resilient environment.”
Abdullahi further revealed that the present administration has prioritized SCP and given the nod for the office of the Presidential Special Envoy on Climate Action to serve as the lead negotiator on climate-related matters and coordinate climate-action-related activities across federal ministries.